Awesome Experience in Europe! Past Review
By Nate R (Health/Medical Preparatory Programs, Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/14/2015 to 05/07/2015 with
CIEE: Seville - Language & Society
Absolutely! I learned a lot about Spanish culture and also was able to see much of Europe. I believe I have become much more independent as a result of navigating Europe. Most importantly, my Spanish has improved so much! My abilities in speaking and understanding Spanish were quite limited before the program began, but now I would consider myself nearly fluent!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The professors were excellent overall. They were very knowledgeable, and they spoke to us with slow and clear Spanish, which was very encouraging in the development of our Spanish language skills. All of the courses I took were significantly less rigorous than those I have taken at Brandeis University. Tutors, who are students from the University of Seville, are available for help if requested. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administrative staff were very organized. They kept us up to date with news and events and they were very responsive to students' needs. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived with an elderly couple. They were very nice people, but I could only speak with the wife, as the husband was deaf. The wife's Spanish accent, as well as most natives in Seville, was very thick and was a sharp contrast to the slow and clear Spanish used by the CIEE staff. As all cooking, cleaning, laundry, and ironing (ALL articles of clothing) were done for me, I would have liked to have had a bit more independence in my homestay. |
| * Food: |
As I am vegan, food in Seville was kind of difficult for me. My señora cooked vegan food for me, and I was able to get fruit and other food from the local supermercados and fruterías. Food in Seville tends to be quite meat- and cheese-heavy (fish and ham, in particular, are very popular) and vegetables and beans tend to be cooked in a lot of oil. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I made many Spanish friends, so I felt very integrated with the local culture. However, I never could get used to their schedule (going out at night, beginning at midnight, is quite common). Because it can be difficult to meet Spanish students, I strongly recommend taking advantage of the Intercambio (language exchange) program. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Healthcare was easily accessible to students. Because communicating a medical concern with a Spanish physician can be quite intimidating, there are medical interpreters available to you who speak very good English. |
| * Safety: |
Seville is very safe. As long as you use common sense and take the necessary precautions that you would in any city, you will be fine. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
|
Finances
|
* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
In this study abroad program, the "cost of living" was very low. All meals are provided to you in your homestay, but you will obviously need to pay if you dine out. Transportation was also quite cheap. I used a bike pass (Sevici), which cost only 33 euros for the whole semester. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $50 (extra food/snacks in homestay, dining out, using the gym) |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
|
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
Intercambios (language-exchange partner) is a great way to practice your Spanish. One of the components in our conversation class involved talking with Spanish students at the University of Seville, and you can certainly keep in contact with them after this component ends. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Fourth semester college Spanish |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | If you want to dramatically improve your Spanish, you need to get Spanish friends, or a Spanish girlfriend/boyfriend. As much as I tried, I found that it was just not socially acceptable to speak Spanish with other Americans (unless a Spanish person was also present). |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I had known about weekend trips, such as Weekend Student Adventures. CIEE advised us to use caution if choosing third-party trip providers, and while it is important to be careful, I was hesitant enough that I didn't go on these kinds of trips until towards the end of the semester. Seville is probably one of the hardest places in which to learn Spanish because of the thick accent. CIEE told us at the beginning of the program that if we can understand the Spanish from the locals, we can understand anyone speaking Spanish. That being said, Seville is still a great pick because you will have to use Spanish more often when interacting with the locals. Fewer people know English in Seville than in the larger cities like Madrid and Barcelona. Although this program says that all courses are taught in Spanish, the professors are very understanding and the classes reflect this; it's not as alarming as it sounds. Either way, your Spanish will improve significantly throughout the semester. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
